Warning! The anathema is here.

The doctrine that poisoned the souls of many, that wrought blood against blood, life against life. Aspasia has not been the same, nor will it ever be. As history fades into legend, and legend into myth, so too are the whispers of peace that had once brought each of the races together in harmony. As such a time faded into history, so does the chaos grow - the resentment that breeds loathing - that brings about war.

With the world pitted against each other, each race, equines, canines, and felines taking sides, the question is, which side will you choose?

Aeoloni Offline

Appearance

breed Arabian x Saddlebred

height 18hh

eye color Blue

Aeoloni, or Aeo, is a tall, yet svelte mare. She has a typical dished arabian forehead, and a skeek yet slightly muscular body. When she moves, she moves with the deadly grace of a warrior and a dancer all at once, and she holds herself confidently and slightly flamboyantly. Her hide is a sleek silver that is accented by a bright purple on her legs and ear-tips. She also sports a long and slightly wavy, silver mane and tail, that have thin strands of gold interwoven throughout.

Aeoloni has a pair of long and slender, yet powerful wings that sprout from her shoulders, and another smaller pair that appear right behind her ears. While she generally leaves her wings (and horn) out in plain sight, she is able to hide them all at will. All four wings are the same silver as her body, and are tipped in the same purple that accents her ears and legs. Interwoven in her feathers are gold threads that sparkle in the light and draw focus to her wings.

Aeo's eyes are a brilliant blue - the blue of the sky - and they change color with her emotion. When she is happy, they seem to glow with a steady brilliance, but while she is angry, they become dark like an mid-afternoon thunderstorm. While her eyes seem full of joy, and love, when one looks deeper they appear wise, and old beyond years. Her eyes are unlined by age, but their depth has the ability to pull you in. Lining her eyes is a soft lavender colored eyeshadow, dark lashes, and a black eyeliner. On her head, Aeo sports a long, slender horn, that she knows how to use dangerously in combat.

Last, but not least, Aeoloni has a soft lavender scarf-like item made of sheer material that drapes from her neck or over her shoulder from a delicately woven gold cord. She also wears a warm amethyst surrounded in intricate gold weaving at the base of her horn.

Human Form

height 6'0"

In her human form, Aeoloni is just as tall and slender as she is in her shifted forms. She moves with the same deadly grace, and while her body is lithe, she does not lack in curvature or muscle tone. While she is beautiful, she can also be dangerous, and the way she moves, especially when angry warns others of her skills in combat. Also, upon her back, sit the same pair of white wings tipped in a beautiful violet. As before, she can make them appear and disappear by will. Whether it be for convenience, or just for appearances sake.

Like in her shifted form, she still bears the ageless blue eyes. While her face is unwrinkled and bears only a light freckles on her pale skin, her eyes sparkle millennia older than her appearance admits - betraying her true age - the immortality she had before entering the mortal world. While most of her appearance is similar to her shifted forms, her human form has one stark contrast: Her hair. Instead of soft blond or white, it is a brilliant red. It curls in gentle ringlets down her back, and ends near her hips. While she could keep it tied up, she is proud of her ginger locks, and prefers to wear them loose most of the time, letting them sway in the breeze and in motion with her steps.

In addition to her appearance, Aeoloni prefers a medieval style dress. She prefers long flowing dresses, with long sleeves that hang open, and they are generally green, purple, or blue in color. She typically wears an ornate golden belt around her waist, which holds a scabbard for a long, slightly curved sword. Upon her head, lies a golden circlet set with a single amethyst, given to her by her mate, Jostaki. She keeps this item with her at all times, and when she is not wearing it upon her head, it is worn around her neck as a necklace. She is not a particularly materialistic creature, but this is one treasure she hold dear and close to her heart.

Personality

One can never quite know what to expect when dealing with Aeoloni, and it can definitely be said that she dances to the rhythm of her own tune. She is a leader yet a follower, she is quiet, yet bold, she is outgoing and outspoken, yet also reserved and mysterious. She can seem flighty and aloof, but she is dependable and caring.

While there are many flip sides to Aeo's personality, there are also many constants. She has the heart of a warrior, and the soul of a philosopher. To many she may seem naive, but to others she is wise beyond her years. She is a passionate about her beliefs, and is a fighter to the very end. She is always kind; she fights for the weak; she does not understand hate - she does not even hate evil. She dislikes it, and can not comprehend how one can enjoy harming oneself or others. She cannot see how one can let bitterness fill their soul. To her it seems nasty and filthy, while love seems so joyful and pure. To some, this makes her naive, but she is not blind to the evils of the world. She, herself, has experienced pain, despair, hatred, but has also seen the new life that comes from the shedding of the old self. She always seeks improvement, always seeks love. She knows what it is like to live in the darkness, but she also knows the joy that living in the light brings. To her, it is her goal to always help, always heal, and always bring out the best in others and herself.

History

Coming from a land of immortals, Aeoloni's history is a long and detailed one. As far as she knows, she has always been. She was born as an adult, and while she is not the first, nor the eldest, she is still old beyond years, and she could not give an age if she was asked... indeed, from her land, time is seen differently... from the view of an immortal it is irrelevant and passes without age or decay - there is no blood, no physical death. In fact, time is based more upon experience rather than seasons or years, and of that Aeo has much.

Born to learn, born to fight the evil that existed in her world - Amarna - Aeo became a warrior and a leader. In the beginning, there was no corruption, but alas! Things change, and soon a clear line came between what was good and light, and what was dark and evil. As oil and water do not mix neither did good and evil. Indeed, in Amarna you were one side or the other, and as time passed the inhabitants began to embody traits from what was in their soul. Those who sought truth, love, and purity shone bright like stars, while those who sought corruption, hate, and power began to decay in reflection of their soul.

Because of this war, Aeo was tasked, with the help of others to create an army to defeat the corruption that was born. For millennia both sides fought adamantly with tooth and claw. While there was not death, there was pain, there was isolation, there was torture. The good sought to reconcile what was lost, to save those who fell into the dark night of the soul, while the evil sought power, to overthrow that which was inherently good. They threw away their birthright, and instead of repentance, they sought to forcefully gain that which was never theirs.

Because of this war, Aeo fought, and was eventually captured. For decades she was trapped and tortured in the most horrible ways. She was strong of will, and strong of endurance, but the pain left its mark on her soul. Finally, after nearly a hundred years she was freed from imprisonment, but the torture left her hurt, and it left her bitter.

While she was hurt and bitter, Aeo chose to become free of the pain. She knew it would be hard, but she had seen what hatred could do, and she chose to take the road to healing, and chose forgiveness. It was hard, and in that pain, she still fought the evil, but instead of fighting out of obligation, she fought with a passion born of suffering. She knew what it was like to hurt, and through the pain she took it upon herself to become a vessel of light. No, she was not perfect, but she would fight, and she would forgive, even where it hurt.

Again, millennia passed, and another major war between good and evil took place. Near the end of the battle, a prophet approached Aeoloni and told her that her life would change drastically. She would be sent to live in another realm as a mortal, and she must learn how to live and die as one before returning to Amarna. No - it would not be easy, she would likely lose her power, and much else - but it was a task and a prophecy that must be fulfilled. No other reason was given, but Aeo nodded. She would do what she must, even if it meant losing everything.

Screams and shouts filled the air as the collision of light and dark took place. The light was winning, but only by a hair, and the dark fought desperately to gain back the ground they were steadily losing. Aeoloni, led the forces into battle with the help of her fellow commanders, and with the intricate plans that the war council had made, they inched forward against their opponents. Finding a spot where she could survey the battle, the amethyst and white mare scanned the ground with her liquid blue eyes. There was dark smoke where the enemy held their strongest ground, and rays of solid white light where her forces stood. In the center, where the battle was fought the hardest, black smoke and white mist rose up like a column into the sky, swirling like an angry storm cloud about to bear down upon the earth.

Searching, where the blackness was the darkest, the mare found the spot where all light seemed to be absorbed. Turning, she spotted Feldspar, a ruggedly handsome stallion and co-commander, and spoke to him through the din, "I believe I have found the spot where Vernus is hiding, I am going in and I am going in alone to finish him, so this battle can come to an end". Meeting her steady gaze, the stallion nodded, and shouted orders for the army to create a small diversion to gain Aeoloni time.

Sneaking away, the mare covered her already dirty hide in soot and created a shield around herself to hide her lightborn abilities from her enemies. She was not powerless, but she was going to do her best to avoid detection.

Making her way slowly through the thick of the battlefield, she skirted around the thickest fighting, and snuck up the hill towards her enemy. Feldspar's diversion was working as hoped, and Vernus was unaware of her presence. Ambushing him, the mare leapt down upon him, her horn alight with the power she held within herself. She was going to weaken him enough for capture. Stabbing straight at his chest with her horn, the mare braced for the force of the impact. However, just as suddenly, as she herself had attacked, the mare was hit blindsided by a force she had not known was there. Gasping, the mare flew sideways, her limbs flying. Trying to regain her balance, the mare struggled to her feet, but was too slow. Her attacker was already upon her again. Vernus had created an illusion and had been hiding - waiting for her to attack. She had known better than to assume it would be easy, yet she had hoped her target remained distracted and unaware.

Having fought Vernus before, the mare knew his strength, she could easily match him. However, she had been caught off guard by the surprise attack. Cackling menacingly the stallion lunged towards her, flames in his eyes, and green and black smoke rising from his putrid maw. She had regained her feet, and stood somewhat at ready with her horn in defense, but his attack sent her more off balance, and he drove her even farther back.

Slipping in some volcanic mud, the mare fell to her side. She already regretted her mistake, and she could see no way out, no one to help her. She was deep behind enemy lines, and it had been mere luck that she had made it this far without having to fight. Bracing herself, the mare breathed deep, and attempted to block the attack. The stallion however diverted his charge, and lunged straight for her chest. She knew this was the end. She would end up back in places where the light knew no favor. Suddenly, a swirling of bright lights, and flashes of lightning filled her vision, and just as quickly, she was spinning into a void of blackness. She knew not what was happening, but with a loss of consciousness, she knew that the enemy had either unleashed a powerful and awful weapon, or the explainable was happening.

What happened next, left the mare in a flurry of confusion and chaos. She woke up in a land that was much different than her own. She was muddied and confused. With a pounding head she searched a forest that never seemed to end. Was this the prophecy? Was she mortal now? If she was mortal, this time, this place was as no world she never knew before. Time seemed to halt here, the trees seemed to circle around endlessly. In her exhaustion, she stumbled upon two others. One who appeared almost familiar, the other, one who already dwelled in the lands beyond. It was at this point that the young stallion led the two mares out, into what Aeoloni learned to be the land of Caeleste.

During her time in Caeleste, she learned much of the mortal world. She learned what it was to bleed, heal from wounds, meet those who were not clearly black and white. Many, she learned were a mix of good and evil. Millions of shades of grey. She was not perfect. She knew that to be true, but appearances could be just as deceiving as a silver tongue. She was smart, she caught on quickly, but the differences were as stark as night or day. It took adapting, learning, observing.

Over time, the woman became lonely. She knew she left her mate behind, and while she knew she could survive, she also felt a loneliness. She wanted a companion. It was then that she sought out the gentle goddess of spring, Vasanta, to fill her longing. It was then that she was granted a quest, and after much searching, tumultuous waves, trees springing from the earth by magic, that she met her hatchling, Alahna, a young dragon full of exuberance and joy. It was through this time that their bond forged - new and pure.

While the time that followed was met with ups and downs, Aeoloni speaking up for the weak and innocent, often getting herself into trouble for her sharp words, making friends, gaining power and influence. Over time, her ambition landed her as commander of the kingdom of spring. While there was no army, she saw herself as defender of the people. One to shelter those in need of safety. That was her mission. And in that mission, she opened a monastery. It was a place of healing, of peace, of learning. Where one could go, and learn about oneself, to heal from past wounds, to enjoy the beauty of the land. She had purchased the land from an old stallion, renovating it, restoring it. People flocked to her. With a gentle hand, she brought in orphaned foals, librarians, groundskeepers. She felt pride in her work, and satisfaction that she could do what she felt purposed to do.

While things run smoothly for a while, it is up to life to bring things back full circle, to bring struggle and chaos. Just as the mare was getting comfortable, she saw the world around her start to crumble. The death of a foal, those who were once at peace pulled into turmoil. Exploring a marshland she was attacked. Perhaps it was a demon, perhaps it was a mare hellbent on death and destruction, but the battle did not fare well for Aeo. Though an accomplished fighter, she was left for dead. A last blow, left her crumpling to the ground. It was then that her world changed. The pivot on which the needle turns. It sank her into questions, and as the world dimmed around her, bring light filled her brilliant blue eyes.

Rising to her feet, the woman squinted into the bright light, her azure pools adjusting to the scene around her. She was home. Home? Already? She was surprised at the suddenness of the situation, that she had died so quickly. Had she went into the world of the mortals only to die again so soon? Her heart dropped. This could not be. While her heart fluttered with joy, her eyes sparkling with mirth, still, the question edged at her mind, like a mosquito intent on buzzing around one's ear. It was an annoyance, a threat. Lowering her head, orbs glittering with mixed emotions, she spotted her mate among the throng. His ivory and cream hide, tipped with blue shining and bright. His beautiful blue eyes took her in, smiling, proud. Smiling back, a crystalline tear glittering down her cheek, she walked up to him slowly. Breathing in his scent, she put her muzzle against his jowl, just as he gave her a single kiss on her cheek. She could feel pride, joy, longing bursting from him. It had not been long in their time since they had last met, but at the same time it seemed forever. She had missed him, more than she had realized. In that heartbeat, the moment that seemed like an eternity, but not long enough all at once, his low voice echoed in her ear. Soft, reassuring. "It is ok. Your time is not yet finished. I will be here. Always. Even if we do not know what is ahead."

With that, Aeoloni stepped back, silent. Knowing that he could feel the unspoken words behind her gaze. She did not need words to convey her emotions. She knew he would understand.

Making her way through the throng of horses, her steps still a bit shaky, she made her way to the dais, and eventually the throne. Bowing low before her king, she rose back up at his gesture, and stood silently awaiting his word. She knew she would not be back here if not for him, and while she did not know what was ahead, she felt as if her appearance was a summons. No, she knew it was summons. Nothing in Amarna was accident. Nothing. Her "death" in the mortal lands was fully intentional, whether it seemed that way or not.

After a moment's silence, the king spoke words of reassurance. She could feel the angst lifting from her shoulders. There were hard times ahead, but she was not done. Not yet. While she felt a leap of joy, she also felt sadness. She missed her home, but she knew she would be back eventually. She also learned that while she lived as a mortal, that she would still retain immortality. She was not dead. Her body would regenerate, and in a short time she would be restored. She would bear wounds for a while, until she found healing, but she would not die. She was simply here for the moment, and not much longer. Bowing her head, she assented to his words. A mix of emotion once again welling in her soul. However, before leaving, she made just one request, if it was in the king's wishes, and in her mate, Jostiki's own... that perhaps... perhaps he could join her in the mortal realm for a time being. She had Alahna, but she missed his scent, the feeling of his breath against her skin.

Once again, the world began to fade, darkness settling in. The fullness she felt in Amarna being replaced with pain. Her eyes cracked open, the dim grey world around her forming into clear distinct shapes. Ivory hide crimson, she woke up in a pool of blood. She hurt. Pain made her world fade crimson, before she steeled herself against it. Searching through her satchel, she found the last of her healing elixir. She had enough to mute the pain before finding an experienced healer. She had friends. They would help.

Finally, rising to her feet, she trudged her way painfully from the swamp. Her wings too damaged to fly. She would watch for dangers, and as she made her way out safely. She finally found someone to heal her grievous wounds. It still took days to recover fully, and in that time, she found the world once again changed.

In the time she had been gone, her empress had gone missing, with little more than a note. Time would carry on as before, but eventually, someone came into the lands claiming them as her own. Aeoloni stood against the challenge, only to be ignored time and time again. She felt her duty as protector led her here, but she was rejected. She would not give up the fight, yet, something pulled at her heart. Longing for her home, longing for her mate, mixed with the natural desire to fight for the weak... No matter what.

This left Aeo in despair, unable to do nothing. Letting it wrack her mind for so long, she mulled over it, in her home, the monastery. She was no longer commander, this intruder claiming to be the protector of the people. She did not believe it. She saw selfishness, a want for power. It irked her, and made her brave enough to risk the challenge... but some things aren't meant to be...

With the despair she felt in her soul, taking up nearly a season, she decided she must do something. The night before she marched forward with a challenge of her own, she had a dream. A dream that she was back home. In the dream, she saw her mate, saw the stars glitter in his deep eyes, saw her king, and felt that it was time to move on. She still dwelled in the mortal realm, it was not time to return to the land of immortals, Amarna, but it was time to move from this realm. Waking from her sleep, she passed the safekeeping of the monastery on to the librarian. He would take good care of it, and packing what little she had, she made her way towards the forest she had once entered the world by. While it was the entrance, it was also the exit. Making her way towards the portal, she felt the mist curl around her. Not knowing where she was headed, she felt that eventually she would end up where fate brought her next. Whatever it was, she felt certain that this was where she needed to go.

Magic

Light Manipulation: The ability to control and manipulate light in a way that can be useful in battle or for other purposes.

-Apprentice-

Aeoloni is now becoming stronger in the art of light manipulation, it takes her little to no effort to create orbs of light that she can move and change color at will. Larger, more intricate patters and designs take more concentration, and sometimes more energy, but overall creating light comes much easier to her. As she progresses in her ability to create and manipulate light, she finds that creating visual illusions is also much easier. These illusions still take a lot of concentration, and they still appear as a hologram, but their realism is more convincing than before. Illusions can also drain her energy fairly quickly, especially if they are complicated, but it is a lot easier now than it was with her beginner magic.

Also, as before, Aeo is beginning to realize that she can solidify the light. She is now able to use it as a shield, or a weapon such as shards of light or even a small sword. However, using light in this way takes an immense amount of focus and energy, and she is only able to sustain such objects for a short amount of time before it drains her. There is also a chance that she will not be able to solidify them enough, so that their attacks are useless and they become incorporeal.

-Beginner-

In the beginning stages of Light Manipulation, Aeoloni is discovering that she is regaining the ability to manipulate and create light. With focus, the mare is able to create orbs or shapes of light of varying intensity and size. A smaller more dim orbs take less energy, while larger, more intricate and brighter designs take a bit more energy and concentration.

As she begins to be able to create light, she realizes that she can also create different colors of light, and is able to make changes in already visible light. She can create some small illusions, and can make some objects appear in mid-air, or she can partially hide a solid object. Right now these illusions aren't very good, and because they are just light, one is able to go right through them.

Also, while she cannot yet use her ability in battle, Aeoloni is discovering that she can make objects out of light. These things take a lot of concentration, and drain energy quickly, but she is discovering that she can create objects like swords and shields. She can only maintain this for seconds though, and the amount of focus needed is intense. Also, because she is new at this, the light she creates isn't strong enough to hurt anyone, only strong enough to resemble the object she intends to create.

Clairvoyance: The art of knowing the unseen without using any of the five senses - a sixth sense.

-Beginner-

Aeo is now beginning to re-experience the gift of clairvoyance. In her previous land, she experienced the gift very strongly - a vast wealth of knowledge and sensations literally at her fingertips. However, in Caeleste, with the help of her Sapphire Stone, her gifts aren't quite so strong, and the weaker sensations are almost foreign to her as she relearns how to use them.

As Aeoloni begins to relearn her clairvoyance, she begins to feel a range of sensations tickling at the back of her mind. Sometimes they are very weak, sometimes they almost seem overwhelming. She begins to realize that she can feel things that are not within herself and begins to understand that she can feel the space around her - the plants, the objects, the living beings, and sometimes even spirits. She gets the general overarching sense of their presence, and in living beings and spirits, she can feel basic emotions when she focuses. In crowds it is like a swirling sensation - a buzzing so to speak - the buzzing of many souls clashing together - emotions and moods. Sometimes this can be quite overwhelming, and in these instances, the mare needs to seek solitude to regain a sense of her own inner peace. By herself, or in small groups, the turmoil is less chaotic, and the emotions of others touches at her minds, but with focus she can determine if they are not her own or someone else's.

Aside from the ability to feel, Aeo begins to discover that she has dreams of the future. Sometimes they are accurate, sometimes not. She has no control, and oftentimes they are vague. They leave her a sense of unquiet, a lack of peace, but again, she has no idea where they come from or if they hold any accuracy. They come infrequently and are unpredictable, and sometimes they leave her with a sense of unknowing.

Lastly, Aeo begins to get random snippets of information about others. Facts she has no way of knowing without this. They are infrequent and inaccurate, but on occasion they hit home. She cannot control them and she cannot predict them, they are as irregular as lighting. She never knows when one will strike - when one will hit home - but she knows that it is there, and perhaps on occasion it will make sense.

Companion

Alahna - (Ah - La - Na)

Appearance: Alahna is a small purple dragon that is between the size of a housecat and a medium sized dog. While she is still young, and will never grow to be large in her natural form, as she ages she will discover that she can shape-shift herself into larger or smaller sizes at will (As large as 25HH, and as small as a butterfly if she wishes). Aside from her adorable size, Alahna is covered in bright sparkling scales of deep purple and a soft cream yellow on her underbelly. Her wings are very long and slender, as is her tail, and she moves with grace. She has a very sweet appearance, and one can tell that she is frequently happy. Her sharp teeth are often bared in a sort of grin, and her eyes sparkle with a joyful playfulness.

Personality: Alahna is a sweet dragon, that cares for other creatures. She is very playful and inquisitive, and sometimes gets herself into trouble trying to explore places she should not be traveling. She enjoys music, and can often be heard humming melodies with her high bird-like voice. While she is unable to speak, she has a full range of vocals, and is very good at mimicking sounds of all kinds. While young, she is also very poignant and wise, and she often sees things others miss.